Along with related tips,

this page features links to bicycle maps for:

Monterey County: Besides Monterey County’s countywide bike map (updated in 2016)…you’ll find other Monterey County bike maps on this page. They include maps for Salinas, the Monterey County seat and our county’s largest city; California State University-Monterey Bay; and Fort Ord National Monument. There are also Velo Club Monterey ride maps, and a general representation map of the new 1.5 mile South Bank Trail along the Carmel River. And there’s a map of HER Helmet Thursdays spots (places that give discounts on Thursdays to males and females who bike).

You may be familiar with pedestrian-heavy sections of our Class I bike-pedestrian/multiuse paths near popular areas like the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the wharfs. But did you know about the wide open spaces, like this section near Fort Ord Dunes State Park?

On former Fort Ord land, there are also many miles of paved roads where cars are not allowed. See “Fort Ord National Monument” heading below for links to maps and related resources.

Pretty nice, eh? Two lanes for bikes and a separate paved lane for pedestrians.

Once you start biking here…

You may not want to stop. So, here are maps and other info to help keep you going!

For additional help, refer to Bicycling Monterey’s main resources page.

Bike-and-ride to expand your territory

Not so sure how far you want to go? Making use of the Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) buses, Amtrak train, and other transportation for you and your bike can make it easier to experience Monterey County.

MST has “Bicycle loading instructions” in their “Rider’s Guide/How to Ride/Transit Tips” section, and then refers to Bicycling Monterey’s “Bike-and-Ride” tips for more info.

You’ll also find in the “Bike-and-Ride” section some tips for Amtrak, Monterey Airbus, and other transportation helpers.

Transit connections

Bike-and-ride options that go out of the county, like Amtrak and these MST transit connections, mean you can use Monterey County as a homebase as you bike throughout the region too. Some tips on doing that are also found in the “Bike-and-Ride” section.

Where are the other Monterey County

bikeways, and the most accurate, reliable bike maps?

Australian Carey Beebe bikes to Bach in Monterey County annually. The bikeway above, parallel to Highway 1 heading south toward Carmel, is one of the many routes he takes to multiple Carmel Bach Festival locations around the county. Because Carey has biked here for 18 summers as of 2016, he doesn’t really need a map anymore. But many visitors, and locals, do find the bike maps helpful. And of course, even experienced riders like Carey appreciate bike map revisions (like the revised county bike map in 2016) because of infrastructure changes shown.

Monterey County’s countywide bike map

In addition to the map being available online as a free download on TAMC’s Bike Map page, a free paper map is also available, in a water-resistant, pocket-sized format. To order a free copy (or copies) of the paper map, complete TAMC’s Google Docs map order form, or give TAMC a call, (831) 775-4415.

Since mid-April 2016, you may find the paper map at local visitor centers, chambers of commerce, city offices, public libraries, bicycle shops, and other locations.

CSUMB bike map

California State University Monterey Bay has a CSUMB-specific bikeways map, and it now includes both Spanish and English text. It also has a “Hot Destinations” guide, to help guide you to 33 popular points of interest.

Velo Club Monterey Ride Maps

Routes regularly taken on Velo Monterey’s group rides may be accessed via the “Ride Maps” section of their website: vcmonterey.org. You’ll find maps for the popular “Monterey Loop” (100 miles), their Saturday Morning ride, and their No Real Job ride. (For the latest Fort Ord map—Fort Ord is popular for road biking as well as mountain biking—refer above or to MORCAmtb.org.)

A link will be added here asap with my photos and tips for people biking. (Want to see that happen sooner? Your help makes a difference!) Meanwhile, know that this 1.5 mile Class I trail, because of its brevity, is best suited for those who will appreciate its positive features in spite of its short length.

Have little ones who like to veer off other Class I trails? No problem for you here; there are fences on each side.

Do be aware that first you must travel the stretch of road between the (6-vehicle) parking lot and the trailhead. Most often you will not come upon a single vehicle on this quiet road.

Map tip: Bikeways defined

Refer to “Where to Bike in Monterey County” for definitions of the types of bikeways referred to, e.g., bike paths, lanes, and routes, Class I, II, III, and IV.

California Bicycle Coalition

Questions about Monterey County routes? Contact me, or contact Monterey Velo Club Answer Man Jan Valencia, local League of American Bicyclists instructor Frank Henderson (both shown below), or one of the knowledgeable people found on Bicycling Monterey’s main resources page.

More tips for finding your way

Some of these bike-there tips are very basic. Others–e.g., Haute Enchilada in Moss Landing–are detailed. If you are biking to or nearby any of the HER Helmet Thursdays participants’ locations, you may find it helpful to check out those tips.

The American Automobile Association acknowledges that bicycling is another way people travel. Check out the photo on the front of their Monterey Peninsula-Salinas Valley map. Thanks to AAA for reminding drivers of the presence of bicyclists on our roads.

About Bicycling Monterey

In 2009, to encourage biking and other earth-friendly actions, Bicycling Monterey was founded by volunteer Mari Lynch. Curious why the root URL for most posts and pages is marilynch.com/blog? Click here. >

Bicycling Monterey is an award-winning grassroots effort, and successes are due to the involvement of many people. Click here to see who's helped. >